Hitoku Basho
by spiralgal
Summary: It's been four years. They have accomplished so much, and yet... the one person that mattered, that made it all worthwhile, is still gone. No sign can be found. And then one day, a mysterious man comes with an important, year-long mission...HP/Naruto Xovr
1. Prologue

Okay, this is a Naruto/HP cross-over. Look at bottom for details about this AU-universe. Sa, on with the show. [And if you have no idea what's going on, that's the point. It's only the prologue.]

And, by the way, **Hitoku Basho** is supposed to translate as _Hiding Place_. At least, that's my hope. Could be wrong, could be right, IF I'm wrong, don't kill me for it.

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**Hitoku Basho: Prologue**

"What arrangements have you made for the year?" asked the figure.

"Do not worry," came the reply. "You will not need to do any more or less than you did last year."

"And what of other matters?"

"Ah, yes. Your help has been invaluable with regard to those things. I daresay we would not be in such a favorable position if it were not for your expertise. And throughout all this, he has still not managed to catch wind of it. It is impressive, and we have you to thank," murmured the man.

"It was nothing," came the reply. "And speaking of catching wind of things… I heard that you plan to bring in some people, despite your claiming to be in such an adventitious position. Some… very specific people."

"Ah, so you found out?"

"I have understood, and stood by all your decisions up 'til now, but this… this I am not sure I can agree with."

"I understand the reason for your reticence, but you told me quite confidently that you are over the past. That you had set it behind you. And as to your earlier question, despite our position, our enemy is not aware of it, and while that gives us even more of an opportunity to undermine his power, it means that he will not be as cautious as he would if he knew how weak he truly was. He is likely to try and attack, especially," he said with sudden amusement, "since you will be returning. His little curse has always served to keep people from returning, and now you, one not even from this country, who only honed their proficiency in our arts recently, is the first to break his curse."

"Hmph. I have met people with bigger egos before... but I daresay, they hardly had the power to back it up."

"Yes, well, despite your misgivings, I shall go forward with what I intend. The information you gave me shall be invaluable. Without it, I'm afraid that I wouldn't know where to begin. And from what you told me, acting as a fish out of water in those circles is dangerous indeed."

'_As long he chooses someplace else, it will be fine. I wasn't biased towards that place, in fact, I even presented it as something of a weaker place than those around it. I have some doubt, and sincerely hope, that he does not go there. That would create numerous complications, and… I do not think that I could handle it. I have gotten over the past, and do not particularly wish to be reminded of it. If he goes there, it is sure to cause some kind of complications. I can only pray._'

With a sudden swirl, the figure left the room. The low lighting caught for a moment on the blue ends of his hair, and then he was gone, out the door, down the stairs, and off to who knows where.

Of course, the man that stayed in the room had a good idea as to where he had gone. He undoubtedly needed to come to terms with what had been discussed. The man knew the source of his misgivings, and could understand them. However, he was of the opinion that these things needed to actually be dealt with, and could not just be set aside. And despite what had been said, he knew that those things had not yet been overcome. They would remain, and haunt that person, either until he died, or until he finally had the chance to discuss them with someone.

Oh, no, not him, the man almost chuckled out loud at the thought. He could lend a sympathetic ear, easily enough, but he could not truly understand. In truth, he guessed that there was only one person that would ever be able to set things right. That was the whole point of what he intended to do. The dark figure that had left the room would never willingly return to that place, unless this had already been resolved. And the one who could resolve it, was in that place. A confusing conundrum, was it not? Well, there was actually a quite simple solution to it: bring that person here. Oh, the reasons he had given were valid enough, and were the truth, but if that was all it was, then really, just anyone would do.

But he didn't intend to get just anyone.

The man had told him enough of his past for him to know who would be needed, and he intended to get just those people, and he also did not intend to let that man slip out of his fingers, and get away from this problem. He had a strong suspicion as to why the man was affected by this so much, and he knew that he needed this resolved, for until it was, his heart would be slowly suffocating within him.

With the tiniest of grunts, the man rose. He was getting old. Oh, that much was obvious to any who looked at him, but it was only now that he was beginning to feel the first telltale signs of his age. But, with a small twinkle in his eye, he turned, and suddenly, the room was completely empty. It had begun. Things were about to be set in mothion.

«»«»«»

On the other side of the world, a sad pair of eyes looked up at the sky.

'_Why? Why did I ever do that? How could I have been so foolish as to not understand? It's been just over four years now. I'm 19. How foolish I was, all that time ago. How, how can I still have hope, after all this time? And even if it is not a completely foolish hope, what is the point? I will __**never**__ achieve forgiveness._

'_But still, I hope, and I wish. Maybe someday, I won't have to hide my pain away inside. Maybe someday, someone will be able to ease the pain. Somehow, I doubt it, for there has already been someone, and it was through my foolishness that they were lost. But… I still cling foolishly to this hope, that they are not truly lost._'

With a sigh, he brought his eyes back down to earth. It was not often that he allowed himself to wallow in the depression from four years past. Usually, it was forcefully shoved to the side. But for some reason, tonight, he had been unable to resist.

Turning his back on the twinkling stars, he trudged inside, back to the emptiness that had been there for years… for a short while, it was filled, even if he had refused to acknowledge it. But that had ended four years ago, and at his hands, as well.

Somewhere, up above, a spirit chuckled, for gears were turning, and soon, two people would have a chance to set things right, and finally live. How ironic it was, how much they would protest, when it was really all they ever wanted…

«»«»«»

This AU: When Sasuke left to go join Orochimaru, he was 14. I don't care what the age is in canon, here, he was 14. He never got to Orochimaru, he was captured and brought back. Um... as of right now, Orochimaru is dead. If I see some pressing reason for it, I might resurrect him. But as of right now, Orochimaru is dead. And for the HP side of it... Dumbledore is still alive, it's year seven, other questions as to how the world got to where it is will be answered later. Oh, and Voldemort has never had contact with the world of the Elemental Nations. How exactly the people of Hogwarts discovered the EN will be answered later, 'cause I'm too lazy now to do it. ...And I like the air of mystery it provides. That's all I feel like banging out right now.

Hope to update soon, but don't _**COUNT**_ on it. R&R please, it really makes it all worthwhile.


	2. A Very Specific Request

Yay! Another chapter! Isn't it amazing! And this is, like, a ginormous chapter. Seriously, it was like seven pages long in Word!! Yeah, I'll just stop talking now. Sa, on with the show.

**Disclaimer:** um, I forgot to do this last time, but I don't own Naruto, 'cause if I did, I would have actually read all of it, instead of the pitiful amount that I really have read(pitiful when you compare it to how long the series is).

**Summary(since I just can't remember myself what my summary is): **It's been four years. They have accomplished so much, and yet... the one person that mattered, that made it all worthwhile, is still gone. No sign can be found. And then one day, a mysterious man comes with an important, year-long mission...HP/Naruto Xovr

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**Hitoku Basho: Chapter 1: A very Specific Request**

Albus Dumbledore peered up at the high walls of Konohagakure. He had apparated to a place a good distance away from the village, for he did not wish to suddenly appear in front of them, and end up on the receiving end of an attack, if they mistook him for an enemy. Dumbledore was fully aware of how powerful the ninja were, and also aware that they preferred to attack first and ask questions later. In many cases, if they had reacted differently, they would have ended up dead, so you couldn't exactly blame them for it.

So it was that Dumbledore had apparated to a spot far from Konoha, and now he was walking up to the gates.

«»«»«»

The guards on duty glanced up as someone came into view, and stared, perplexed, at the very unusual figure before them.

It was a strange man. He wore long, flowing robes, that touched the ground, almost like those of the Sandaime, except that these were the strangest robes they had ever seen. They were a bright, royal blue, that blended to a lovely purple color at the cuffs and along the bottom hem of the robes. And upon they fabric, there were glistening gold and silver suns, stars, moons, and other, more arcane symbols. To top it all off (quite literally, mind you), was the hat that he wore. It was at this point that any resemblance the man's clothing might have held to those of the Sandaime ended. For atop the man's head was a tall, pointed hat, made to match the robes he wore.

To the astute observer, who was familiar with this type of clothing, or to the reader of this text, it would be obvious that this was a wizard's hat; a staple of wizardly clothing, that helped focus magic by drawing it up and into a point. But to the ninja, this was a crazy old man who wore something atop his head that would surely fall off whenever he was required to make quick, fast movements.

After taking a moment to gather their wits, and allowing the strange man to come closer, the guards stepped forward to stop him, and do their duty, asking him his business in Konoha.

_'What a strange occurrence,'_ thought the head guard on-duty. The man had said he had come to Konoha for the purpose of requesting a mission. He had been perfectly amiable in response to what they had insisted on for safety's sake. Most visitors balked when they heard the requests, but instead, the strange old man just took it all in stride.

Shaking his head, the man turned back to his post, and put the whole occurrence out of mind.

«»«»«»

Albus Dumbledore sat waiting outside the office of the Hokage.

He had gone to where missions were taken and written on scrolls, to be sorted into categories and assigned at soonest possible convenience, as the guards had directed him. He had known before coming here that he would need to speak to the Hokage about this mission, but had known, as well, that it would be best to follow precedence, and apply as a normal person might for a mission.

_Flashback_

_Albus Dumbledore approached the table in front of a Chuunin. The nin glanced up at him, acknowledging his presence. "How may I help you?" he asked._

_"I wish to request a mission," Dumbledore replied._

_"What sort of mission is it you would like to request?" queried the man, his hand poised with a brush over a scroll._

_"Well," said Dumbledore, "It's quite simple, really. But it incorporates several quite complicated things, and it would be very dangerous. Let's see… I believe, if I remember correctly, it would be an A-class mission. And it would be a long-term mission, as well."_

_The Chuunin had frozen when he heard Dumbledore declare confidently that it would be an A-class mission. '_When the _**client**_ is sure that the mission is an A-class, when the scaling is so complicated… a million things must be factored into rating a mission, and whenever someone declares that they believe a mission will be a certain class… whenever they declare a mission to be a certain class, it is almost certainly a higher class. The clients **_always_** underestimate the rank of a mission._'_

_"I believe," said the Chuunin, somewhat shakily, "that for a mission of this scope, you should go and discuss it with the Hokage. Many things will need to be worked out."_

_End Flashback_

And now Dumbledore was sitting, waiting to see the Hokage.

The Hokage's assistant, Shizune, Dumbledore recalled her name to be, came out of the office and looked over at him. "The Hokage may see you now," she told him.

Dumbledore rose, and moved towards the door. He had spent much time thinking about just how he would have to phrase things, to insure he got the people he needed. Now, it was time to put all that planning to work.

«»«»«»

The Hokage looked up at the strange man before her. She had already commandeered the paper trail that had followed this man form the moment he set foot in sight of her village, and had gotten the impressions of the guards and the Chuunin at the mission tables. She wanted to know as much about this man who was requesting such a high-rank mission as she possibly could.

But really, she thought as she looked at him, none of what her ninja had reported to her could do him justice. _'Oh well, might as well get on with it,'_ she thought.

"So, Dumbledore-san, what is this mission that you wish to request?" she asked, getting straight to the point. No hedging or avoiding the topic in favor of formalities for her.

"Ah, yes, the mission," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Well, on the surface, it is quite an easy mission, really. I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I wish to give protection to one of my students, whom which the most powerful Dark Wizard of our time, Lord Voldemort, greatly desires to dispose of."

After saying this, Dumbledore sat back to watch what kind of havoc his words would wreck on the Hokage.

Her mouth had fallen open at the first mention of magic. She was now staring at him disbelievingly, trying to make sense of what he had said. "Ma… ma… Magic?!?! Wizards?!?! A school?!!?!! You are asking for _ninja_ to protect a _wizard_ from _another_ wizard!?!? _Ninja_, who have never even heard of magic being real until you show up, to protect someone form an apparently highly dangerous _magical_ foe."

"Oh, I assure you, I know precisely what I am asking. But, is it not so outlandish to believe that _ninja_ are real? Beings of myth, who only appear in muggle movies, that can walk on walls and water, disguise their form, replicate themselves, and replace themselves with another object. How can one possibly believe that these preposterous creatures are _real_?"

Tsunade exclaimed indignantly at this. "What?! How dare you insinuate that ninjas are not real! We have been around for ages, and—"

"_Wizards_, have been around for ages, as well, madam Hokage. How dare _you_ insinuate that _wizards_ do not exist?" replied Dumbledore calmly.

The Hokage was left speechless, staring at Dumbledore, mouth flapping comically. "Very well," said the Hokage, "I suppose I can your point. To each of us, the other is something of childhood tales, not reality… So, what else is there to your mission? As you said, on the surface it is quite easy, but that implies that underneath, it is quite complicated," inquired Tsunade briskly.

"Well, you see, this mission is very specific. I have actually met someone from the Elemental Nations before, and they told me much of your world. So, I know that ninjas generally become Genin at the age of twelve, if they are able to graduate from the Academy. They are then put into groups, to cultivate teamwork, and hopefully improve their skills so that they may attend the Chuunin exams, and eventually work their way up to being Jounin, or even attaining the status of ANBU. This person also told me how the missions are ranked, and I was able to consult them about this mission that I wish to pose to you, so I am very confident in saying that this is, at present, an A-class mission, but an A-class that could very easily become a S-class mission, due to extenuating circumstances."

"Hmm. Would you be interested in telling me the identity of this person who told you so much about the Elemental Nations? I would very much like to know who they are."

"Oh, I am most certainly interested in telling you their identity. However, I know that they would not wish their name to be brought up."

"Oh?" said the Hokage, latching on to that one piece of information quickly. "And why might that be?"

"I can assure you, madam Hokage," said Dumbledore, chuckling, "it is not anything like that. They simply have… bad memories of the Elemental Nations, you might say. They claim to be quite happy, having left, and do not wish to be brought back."

As Dumbledore said this, Tsunade noticed a particular glint in the man's eye. _'Ah,'_ she thought, _'it seems that I will indeed learn who this person is. That man is planning something for whoever this ninja is, and this mission most likely has a secondary purpose, that will in some way pertain to the person that told him of the Elemental Nations.'_

"So, you said that this mission was very specific. What kind of specifics?" questioned Tsunade.

Dumbledore smiled at her, and reached into the confines of his robes to withdraw a length of wood. Tsunade looked at it suspiciously, wondering just what it was for, until Dumbledore recalled her attention to the conversation. "Since I believe that laying out all the specifics will take some time, and to do away with what remaining disbelief you have that I am, indeed, a wizard, would you allow me the courtesy of a chair?"

Tsunade, startled, began to wave Dumbledore towards one of the chairs in front of her desk, but before she could get halfway through the gesture, Dumbledore waved the stick in his hands, and a plush armchair sprang into existence, just off the center of the front of her desk.

Tsunade gaped at the man, her eyes moving back and forth between the chair that had not been there moments before, the smile on Dumbledore's face, and the stick—_'wand,'_ she reprimanded herself—in his hand, and back to the chair.

Dumbledore smiled, and took his seat. Steepling his fingers before his face, he began to talk, immediately bringing the Hokage's attention back into sharp focus on his words.

"I wish to have 12 ninja, that can work well together, and are all around the same age, to attend Hogwarts, disguised as seventh year students."

"Twelve?" said Tsunade sharply. "Why twelve?"

"Well, I suppose that the number is open for change, but I arrived at twelve because I knew that, as Genin, ninja were placed in squads of three, with a Jounin sensei to guide them. So, I wish for four teams of ninja, more or less one team for each house at Hogwarts, to attend. And I wish for these twelve to be familiar with working together, friends and regular comrades, preferably. I also realize, that normally the ninjas would take missions with their senseis as well. If you choose to assign their sensei to go with them, I most certainly would be able to find a use for them. Heavens know that in a war, you can always use more people."

"A war?" asked Tsunade sharply. "You didn't say anything about this mission being part of a war."

"Oh, the war is hardly a _war_," said Dumbledore. "Not yet, anyways. People have taken sides, certainly, but it is not a war. And how can it possibly ever come to a war, when wars are fought out in the open, and widely acknowledged as actually going on? Lord Voldemort does not wish for this to come into the open, for then, who would he be able to rule over at he end? If he won in an obvious war, it would mean _everyone_, save for his followers, had been killed. He will not ever bring this conflict to open war. But back to the mission, if you choose for their senseis to go with them, there would be things I would have them do outside of Hogwarts, and all of those things would be treated as missions individual of the main mission, and you would be paid accordingly.

"All the seventh years at Hogwarts are wizards that have either already reached the age of 17 in the summer before their school year, or will be turning 17 that school year. So, I would like the ninja you provide to be no younger than that age, preferably older. No older than twenty, however. And I am well aware," said Dumbledore, forestalling any protest that Tsunade had been about to make, "that an exceptional ninja may be a Chuunin by age 14, and a Jounin by age 16, but I am still requesting that the ninja be older than 17. It does not matter their level, the older they are, the more they will have seen, and the greater the reservoir of experience they will have to draw from. Whether they are all the same rank does not matter to me, as long as they are all in the same age area."

Tsunade sat back to think these criterion over. Who would be best to send? Seventeen, seventeen… twelve people that were no older than twenty, and no younger than seventeen. Who could she send? Twelve, twelve… she dropped the word twelve into the pool of her mind, and looked to see what ripples it created. _'But of course,'_ she thought suddenly. _'Who better, than the original Rookie 12?'_ It was no sooner than she had this thought, that she felt a rush of pain at remembering. Remembering…

_'No,'_ she thought. _'I can't afford to think of that right now,'_ she told herself sternly. _'Concentrate on the mission. They would be the perfect people to send, despite that thing. They've known each other since they were all Genin together, and are all good friends. Well, except for him, but… No! I already said I wouldn't think about it, so I shan't. They know how to work together, and coordinate with each other._

_'Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai's old Genin teams were always able to work together flawlessly. But should I send those four as well? He said that he certainly would be able to use them, even if they wouldn't be at Hogwarts… and that they would be given missions… that would be treated individually from this mission… and that means… MONEY!!'_ thought Tsunade, suddenly ecstatic.

_'Each of those treated as individual missions, those will all bring in their own money! And it sounds like those would be pretty dangerous missions, generally, which means LOTS of money! And none of the twelve would be taking those missions, since they would be undercover, so if I don't send their senseis, then those missions wouldn't be done! Such a shame, I really should their senseis, so that this Dumbledore person will have someone who can do those missions…'_

"How long will this mission be?" asked Tsunade eagerly, still gushing over the possibility of lots of money.

"I am putting the official duration at the length of one year, although I might wish to extend, based on what occurs during that year, or it might end early, also based upon what happens. But roughly, one year," Dumbledore replied.

_'One year… I'd have to talk to Kakashi about that. I know that he really hates extended missions. Although… Argh!! I have no idea what kind of transport they'll be using to get to this school! How can I plan properly to deal with all of these problems if I don't know everything!'_

"Well, I can think of just the perfect people. They fit exactly the parameters you have provided, and they've each had a short break from missions recently, so this shouldn't put too much of a strain on them. Besides, it sounds like this mission will be relatively restful, so they shouldn't really have a problem with it."

"And, just who might these ninja be, that you are thinking of?" asked Dumbledore.

"He he. They were once referred to as the Rookie 12. I believe the name originates form the fact that they were the only twelve Konoha nins to make it past the second stage of their very first Chuunin exam. Since that point, they have worked together quite often and become good friends. And then…"

Tsunade seemed to sink in on herself for a moment, but then snapped back to the conversation. "Well, that thing doesn't matter. It's all over and done with now. The point is, they are the best compilation of teams one could find, and they're all at least Chuunin level by now, and have all taken the Jounin exams before. The oldest of them is twenty, and the youngest eighteen. I think they will serve well for you.

"As for their old sensei, I think it would be good for them to go as well, and considering our current affairs, we can spare them. But… there are a couple of problems, there. It will take a little work to be able to clear them for a year-long mission, and even then, I expect some compromises will have to be made," finished Tsunade.

"That sounds just perfect," said Dumbledore, inwardly rejoicing, for it seemed like he had gotten just the people he wanted. He remembered well the tale of that first Chuunin exam, and for her to say that's where the name came from, he was sure it was the same people. Correct ages, as well.

"I realize this might sound a bit presumptuous, but could I meet these ninja you intend to assign on this mission? School starts in a month-and-a-half, and there is much that should be done before then. And knowing of the problems that are likely to arise before your ninja come to England, I will not be scrambling all over at the last minute to find a solution. I can have a good month to come up with a solution that covers all problems, not just half of them, and leaves the rest to chance. Is that permissible to you, madam Hokage?"

"Yes, yes. Perfectly practical thinking. I am sure Shizune could tell you that I get absolutely furious whenever someone brings up a problem that they need fixed _right now_. Actually having time to work these problems out means actually having time to be able to procrastinate on things."

"Well," said Dumbledore, chuckling merrily, "I am afraid that I usually do not use my time to procrastinate. Instead, I ask those who are experts in their field to think of a solution, and then I fine-tune their idea to suit the problem."

"Well, hmph," said Tsunade, stumped that this man might actually be able to get things done.

Standing, Tsunade moved to the door, and, sticking her head out, called for Shizune to come to her office.

As soon as Shizune appeared in the doorway, Tsunade said, "Shizune, I need you to summon ANBU: Captain Wolf and his team, & Captain Owl and his team; Chuunins: Hyuuga Hinata, & Inuzuka Kiba; Jounins: Hyuuga Neji, Aburame Shino, Tenten, Rock Lee, Yuuhi Kurenai, & Mato Gai. The ANBU will likely still be in headquarters at this time of day, but have them come in street clothes."

As Shizune scurried out the door to call together the Konoha 12 and their senseis, Tsunade sat back down behind her desk, her hands folded in front of her face and a steely glint in her eye.

«»«»«»

Word count: 3,305 words

OMG!! I cannot believe that _**I**_ wrote all that. This chapter ended up _so_ super long. I had meant to make it shorter and get it up sooner, but it just kept going and going. So, soooo sorry about not having it up over the weekend. But hey, at least I finished it in just three days of sporadic work.

I would like to thank my *coughcough*_**one**_*coughcough* reviewer, Kaoleth. Thank you soooo much Kaoleth!! Getting reveiws rocks! It motivates me to continue the story!!

Okay, if I messed up on any of the names, please tell me. I really want to get this right. I know that when I read fanfiction, when the people spell words incorrectly it really bugs me, because it feels like the people haven't actually read the series if they can't get the words right. Oh, that goes for apparated too. Did I spell that word right? It felt wrong, somehow. And, does anyone know of a commonly used family name for Tenten or Sai? 'Cause I don't know if they have a family name. Oh, and another thing(jeez, I'm making so many requests), besides a fox mask for Naruto, what ANBU masks have you ever seen used for Naruto or Sai? I really need some mask inspiration. In fact, if someone could just list all the masks they can think of for all of the Rookie 12, that would be great, 'cause I really can't even think of **_an__y_** masks.


End file.
